Composite fabric



May 3, 1938.

M. J. SCHIFRIN COMPOSITE FABRIC Filed Nov. 8, 1937 j fa ATTORNEYS 1 VENTOR.

Patented May 3, 193s UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE comosr'rr. FABRIC Moses J. Schilrin, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application November 8, 1937, Serial No. 173,351

' z claims. (ci. z-z'zs) This application is-a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 127,830, filed February 26, 1937. y y

The present invention relates in general to artificial or synthetic fur fabric, and more particularly to fabric resembling in appearance such natural furs as Persian lamb, astrakhan. caracul, and galyak.

These natural furs are all characterized by an irregular curly surface, it being one of the impo-rtant objects ofthe invention to closely reproduce this `type of natural fur in an artificial or synthetic fur fabric. Another important object of the invention is to provide for easy making of l an artificial or synthetic fur fabric,together with low manufacturing cost thereof. Still another 'important object of the invention is to provide for durability of an artificial or synthetic fur fabric, including its resistance to wear.

Fabrics have been produced heretofore with the view of imitating the aforesaid natural furs, but have not proved to be satisfactory. In these prior attempts, in order to produce the fur-like surface, a chenille or other material has been employed which was either looped in various ways through the usual backing or worked into various forms prior to its application on said backing. Not only have these operations been tedious and costly, but they in general also resulted in fabrics in which the effect of natural fur was present merely in minor degree. Moreover, where the working of the material producing the furlike surface did not in itself provide a securing means, as by weaving through the backing or in like fashion, it'has been usually secured to the backing by adhesives. Theuse of adhesive in such amount as to provide an adequate securing means resulted in fabrics which became stiff when cold and otherwise undesirable. Moreover, the adhesive in time tendedto dry out, thus causing the rapid disintegration of the fabrics. the material producing the fur-like surface y cmaught on anything,v it was liable to be torn away i from the backing in long strips qrnotherwise,

45 ruining the fabrics.

In accordance with the invention, a material such as a chenille is employed which, contrary to all prior practice, is neither looped through the backing nor preformed in any way. 'Ifhe basis of the invention is the discovery that by .directly applying a chenille or like material to j the surface of the backing and securing it to said surface by sewing, the required eiect of natural fur canin considerable degree'be immediately obtained. In the fabricof the present invention,

therefore, the sewing operation `not only serves as a securing means, but also serves to closely reproduce the aforementioned natural furs in appearance. The reason for this is that the fibres ofthe chenille or other material employed to produce the fur-like surface are pulled down in many places by the stitches, thereby producing irregularities in the surface closely imitating those present in such natural furs. As the full equivalent of a chenille inprcducing the fur-like surface, any long-fibered or furry yarn may be used, such as a yarn of mohair. Whether a chenille or yarn is employed as the material for producing the fur-like surface, 1t should be round, by which term is meant that its libres should extend out-A wardly in all directions.

In producing the fabric of the present invention, it is essetial that the chenille or furry yarn be made to contact throughout its length with the surface of the backing in adjacent, nonintersecting, irregular, sinuous, fur-like rows, on which the realistic appearance of that fabric also depends. And it is also required that a substantial number of the stitches extend over and across the core of the chenille or body of the furry yarn, thereby precluding any possibility of the chenille or furry yarn being rippgd off the backing.

PreferablyMthe backing is coated with just. enough adhesive to cause the interstices between rows of the chenille or furry yarn to Abecome permanently hidden from view by those fibres of the applied material which liel adjacent lto the surface of the backing, the fabric during the manufacture being pressed under conditions causing such fibres to adhere to the adhesive coating. In this way, when the fabric is bent or creased, the plain backing does not show, but a furry under-coat is presented to view. However, instead of causing some of the fibres of the chanille or furry yarn to adhere to the backing to conceal it, the backing itself may be made of a textile having a lustrous, satiny or other desired nish resembling the texture of the applied furry material.

For purposes of illustration an embodiment of the invention designedto imitate Persian lamb will now be described in conjunction with the drawing, in which Fig. l is a perspective view vci' ,the main backing and chenille layer thereon,

particularly illustrating the manner in which -the chenille should be applied to said backing; Figs. 2 and 3` are enlarged sectional views schematically illustrating the securing of thekchenille core; Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged plan views schematically illustrating the pulling down of chenille fibres; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the nished fabric as seen from the back with a corner portion curled up and the additional backing layer separated.

Referringto Fig. 1, a main supporting fabric 2 is shown which is entirely covered on one side with a layer of suitably curled round chenille 3. Any known "swirling process may be used to produce the curl in the chenille 3, which can, for example, be made of silk or rayon, colored either black, gray or brown according to the fur to be simulated. I have found that round chenille which has been swirled in accordance with the Benowitz Patent No. 1,934,398 is particularly suited for use in imitating Persian lamb and similar furs. The backing 2 may be a textile having a surface resembling the chenille 3 in texture and appearance. On the other hand, it may be a fabric coated on one side with adhesive. It has been found that ordinary backing-cloth or stayingcloth, an adhesive clothwell known in the furriers trade for reinforcing animal skins, is particularly well suited for use as the backing 2. When such an adhesive cloth is used, however, it is not in any way intended to serve as a means to secure the chenille layer thereto, but its essential purpose is to produce a furry under-surface below the mainbody of the chenille 3. It is positively required .that the round chenille be secured to the backing 2 by sewing,I as illustrated by the stitches 4 appearingon 4the rear of said backing in Fig. 6. l

The rst step in the manufacture of the fabric with either of the above-mentioned types of back- Y throughout its length a sinuous, irregular path completely. covering the backing without intersection of,r the chenille at anyplace. In Fig. 1

the effect of the sewingoperation has purposely l been omitted with a view to more clearly illustrating the adjacent, non-intersecting, irregular, sinuous, fur-like character of the rows in which the chenille 3 should be caused to contact with the surface of the backing l2. Underthese conditions the sewing operation results in. a yfabric which is most remarkable in its resemblance to Persian l lamb in that the irregularcurliness peculiar to such a fur is very closely duplicated.

In sewing the chenille to the-backing 2, any ap-v propriate type of stitch may be used, satisfactory Vresults being had with Schifiii machines, multineedle machines, blind stitch machines, Bonnaz v machines, etc. A11 that isf required 1s that the core of the chenille 3 be effectively secured against displacement on the backing2by a substantial n umber of the stitches... This requirement is vschematicallyillustrated,in Figs. 2 and 3, wherein the upper part of such a securing stitch is shown in the two positions'which it occupies corresponding tothe beginning and end phases of stitch formation.` Referring to these figures, the

stitching thread` 5 first loosely extends over andd across .the entire body of the chenille 3, as shown .in Fig. 2.

chenille 3 and ultimately bring down .with it` the employed, of course, there may. be one or several .'I'h'ereafterythepull on the :stitch causes the thread 5 toy sink down through the' It will readily 'ne understood that the body of the round chenille 3 is so thick and furry that all stitches sink down through it. As a result, the iibres of the chenille 3 are lin many places pulled down from an upper level against the backing 2. As schematically illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, both stitches 4 which do not cross the chenille core 6 and 4stitches 4" which do cross the chenille core 6 contribute to the pulling down of chenille fibres, the lines 1 in each of these figures representing chenille fibres held down against the backing in this manner. As shown in Fig. 6, the sewing results in irregularities or discontinuities in the upper curly surface of the chenille layer, produced by the pulling down of chenille fibres.. These irregularities or discontinuities are perhaps the principal reason Why a fabric is obtained which so closely resembles genuine Persian lamb in appearance. Not only do the curled ends of the chenille 3 stand out irregularly in all directions, .but a close-matted fabric also results inwhich the outlines of the chenille rows have been broken .up and concealed. Incidentally, the sewing also tends to soften the backing cloth, which enables the fabric to drapey the stitching is absolutely invisible from the outer side of .the fabric,- although it is preferable to sew the chenille with thread .of the same color as itself.

The second step in the manufacture of the fabric is to place the-material chenille-side down and press it on the back with a hot iron or like heatepressing device. Whether a plain backing v or an adhesive backing is employed, this operation crushes the more or less cylindrical chenille 3 and increasesits resemblance to Persian lamb by causingy a more irregular positioning of the curled ends of the chenille 3. In the case of an ing cloth may be applied by adhesive or otherwise tolthe main backing 2. This gives somewhat more body to the finished fabric and closes the multitude of holes which are left in the backing 2 by the needles of the sewing machine, a more attractive article being produced in which the stitches on the'y back are completely concealed. If softness, is particularly desired, however, the additional backing 8 may be omitted.

The processl which has been described in connection withthe making of a lfabric resembling Persian lamb may obviously be applied to other materials adapted to-imitate other furs'. Instead of rswirled chenille, fur yarns of camels hair,

'may-truly -be said that the product is a synthetic fur.

According to the invention, various types of materials may' be used to produce novel fabrics suitable'not only for clothing, but also for rugs, upholstery, and other purposes.

It is to be understood that the embodiment wherein described in detail is intended solely as an illustration and not by way loi limitation of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. An artificial fur fabric comprising a backing, a layer of curled round chenille completely' covering the surface of said backing and secured to said surface vby sewing, said chenille contacting throughout its length with said surface in adjacent non-intersecting irregular sinuous furlike rows, a substantial proportion of the sewing stitches crossing the core of the chenille so as to effectively secure it against displacement on said surface, the fibres-of said chenille being pulled down in many places by the sewing stitches so as to produce irregularities in the finished fabric.

2. An artificial fur fabric comprising "a backing having an adhesive coating, and a layer of curled round chenille completely covering the surface of said backing and secured to said surface by sewing, said chenille contacting through` out its length with said surface in adjacent nonintersecting irregular sinuous fur-like rows, a substantial proportion of the sewing stitches crossing the core of the chenille so as to eiec- MOSES J. SCHIFRIN. 

